The clerk, who friends and family have identified as Tony, is recovering from the armed robbery at Bottlenecks on Fuller NE on Saturday.

A manager with Bottlenecks, who wished to remain anonymous, told FOX 17 the clerk saved his own life after the gunman shoved his rifle into his mouth. The manager said Tony fought back, moving the gun to his cheek just before the gunman pulled the trigger.

Gunman said, "I used to kill people like you in Iraq with no problem.." Clerk fought back, moved gun so bullet went through his cheek @FOX17

During the struggle, the manager said, "Tony told me that (the gunman) asked him to get on his knees, and (the gunman) was saying all this vulgar stuff about him, like Tony being associated with terrorism or with ISIS."

The manager told FOX 17 the gunman called the clerk a terrorist, ISIS, and said things like, "I used to kill people like you in Iraq with no problem."

As of Monday afternoon, the Grand Rapids Police Department is investigating the armed robbery but Sgt. Terry Dixon said they "are not prepared to call this a hate crime."

The store manager first shared harrowing surveillance video with FOX 17 on Monday morning showing the incident . It began at 11:57 p.m. Saturday, when the video shows a masked gunman armed with a rifle barging through the back door as Tony made the store's liquor order.

The manager said Tony immediately put his hands up, then emptied the cash register, and gave the suspect the money.

But then the suspect forced Tony to the backroom, away from surveillance cameras. The manager told FOX 17 the robber put his gun into the clerk's mouth and forced him onto his knees while saying ethnic slurs and calling Tony a "terrorist."

Then Tony fought back, moving his head to the side just before the shot fired through his cheek. The manager said Tony remembered falling back, the gunman firing two more shots, and then running out the door.

Surveillance shows Tony walking out of the back area holding his bleeding face, as the manager said he called 911 on his cell phone because the store's land line got kicked out. Police arrived to the store minutes later, and the manager said they are grateful Tony handled the situation bravely.

"(Tony) handled it really well, he did what he was supposed to do in a robbery situation, and after I think he was very brave for doing what he did and calling the cops himself," the manager said.

We're told Tony the clerk is doing well today and recovering, he's talking & employer says he handled this situation very bravely @FOX17

The manager told FOX 17 the owners are saddened by the entire incident and can't understand why Tony would be associated with terrorism: Tony is Punjabi, and has nothing to do with terrorism they said.

"I don't know why (the gunman) associated him with terrorism, maybe it's because of our skin, because of what we look like, and it could happen to anyone that looks like us or has our skin tone," the manager said.

"That's just the sad part because, at the end of the day, we're just normal people trying to live normal lives, we're not associated with anything like that, and it's unfair that we have to live in that fear."

Police have only been able to offer a vague description of the suspect, who is believed to be a black man who is about 6 feet tall. The suspect left the store wearing a mask, black hoodie, quilted flannel shirt, and black pants.

Click below for the surveillance video of the robbery.

Warning - some viewers may find this disturbing.

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Anyone with information is asked to call Silent Observer at 616-774-2345, or the Grand Rapids Police Department at 616-456-3400.

Yeah, it’s sad how we humanize a murderer that you can identify with (“looks like me” or maybe has similar cultural values) but then the same action done by someone you don’t identify with is very plainly a villain, criminal, or in today’s vocabulary a “terrorist.”

JJ

James Cooper

That’s a misconception because PTSD does NOT make people do this. The guy was just an asshole and if I had to venture, most likely never served in Iraq. Probably, at most, someone who got kicked out of the military for being an idiot.

Mortadha

YOUR KIDDING ME RIGHT?! Your giving him an excuse? He almost killed a man for looking Arabic! DO YOU KNOW HOW SCARIER IT IS TO BE A ARAB MUSLIM?!?! AND YOUR GIVING HIM AN EXCUSE?!?! People like you make me sick.

T.J.

I have a hard time believing the gate crime aspect anymore. Our justice department as well as all minority groups refuse to call crimes against Christians hate crimes. They refuse to prosecute/call violence against whites hate crimes. And the almost immediately say, “it can’t be a hate crime, because it’s a robbery gone wrong.” so now we should call it on because the robbery victim is a man with a tan?

Maybe and likely, its a robbery and the victim added the hot fudge sugar coating on the story to make it more. We’ve seen tons of added flavor later, often it’s a completely fake story (like the Kkk at colleges).

We have cair coming out as fast as sharpton comes out calling for mass attention to a certain crime (often fabricated). People burning their own churches and businesses, busting their own Windows, vandalizing their own cars, to fake hate crimes, gain attention and money, while blaming a politician or entire race.

No, because the shooter specifically said he killed people “like him” with no problem. DId you read this? If a guy runs into a store owned by a white man and says “DEATH TO THE WHITE MAN” and shoots him, it will most definitely be ruled a hate crime or an act of terrorism.

And will any of these right wing Christian Republican racist piles of crud that whip up hatred and bigotry against brown people stand trial for this crime? Trump and every Republican should be help responsible for these hate crimes.